Originally posted February 8, 2021
According to Medicaid’s October 2022 data report, more than 90 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid.
If you are a Medicaid recipient, Medicaid will pay your medical bills for injuries and illnesses at a greatly discounted rate. Because of that, it’s a good idea to use it to pay for all of your healthcare treatments after a car accident.
However, Medicaid only pays for medical expenses. It does not compensate you for your pain and suffering, or for lost paychecks if you are unable to work while recovering from your injuries.
Furthermore, with COVID continuous enrollment provisions ending, many current Medicaid recipients may soon be losing their Medicaid benefits.
At Wagner Reese, it’s our goal to get you the most money possible when you are injured through no fault of your own. That is why we always recommend filing an injury claim against the at-fault driver’s auto insurance, even if you already have Medicaid coverage.
Medicaid Kicks in Right Away After You Get Hurt
Personal injury claims take time. Insurance companies rarely agree to pay victims all the money they’re owed right away or without a fight, and that means claims can take several months to resolve.
In the meantime, you’ll still receive bills from the hospital, ambulance service, and others. If you can’t return to work, you probably don’t have the money to pay those bills, but you also shouldn’t have to dip into your savings or use credit cards to pay off an accident that wasn’t your fault.
Thankfully, these bills can be sent to Medicaid immediately. Make sure to tell the hospital and other healthcare provider services to bill Medicaid instead of you. That means you may not see a single bill.
Medicaid Has a Claim to Some of Your Settlement Money
If you file a personal injury claim and win, you won’t get to keep all of the money if your medical bills were already paid by Medicaid. Medicaid can demand reimbursement from the portion of your settlement intended to pay for your medical bills.
This may seem like a reason to not use Medicaid to pay your bills after a car accident, but it is actually a good thing!
Hospitals bill Medicaid at a significantly discounted rate. You will only have to pay back what Medicaid paid—not the full billed amount that the hospital would have charged you if you’d been paying out of pocket. That means more money for you at the end of the day.
Additionally, in some circumstances under Indiana law, Medicaid’s right to reimbursement can be waived. Contact our firm to see if your case applies.
Why File a Personal Injury Claim if You Receive Medicaid?
If Medicaid will pay for your medical bills, why file a personal injury claim? It’s a good question with several good answers.
- Your medical expenses could continue to pile up—Medicaid doesn’t pay you for future or anticipated costs. It only pays for the medical bills that you actually receive. In addition, not all healthcare-related costs are covered by Medicaid.
- Your Medicaid doesn’t cover lost wages—Although Medicaid is typically offered to people in lower-income brackets, many still work and earn paychecks. But if your injury makes it impossible for you to work, your lost paychecks won’t be covered by Medicaid—only your medical bills will be.
- Your pain and suffering deserve compensation, too—You may be in significant pain and suffer from disabilities for the rest of your life as a result of your injuries after a serious car crash. This can make it impossible to enjoy favorite activities or spending time with family. A personal injury claim can help you get compensation for these losses.
We’ll Help You With Your Options
As a Medicaid recipient, there’s little risk in filing a personal injury claim after an accident. After all, almost all of your medical bills will already be paid by your Medicaid coverage. However, filing a claim can grant you access to additional funds that can cover all the other ways the accident affected your life for the worse.
The Indiana personal injury lawyers at Wagner Reese know that not all accident victims want to deal with the stress and confusion of an injury claim, especially when they’re hurting. When you contact us, we’ll collect the facts of what happened and help you make the right decision for your family.
And if we win your claim, we’ll help you pay back Medicaid in the most cost-efficient and effective manner possible. Call us today for a free consultation.
